Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 8 | Page 32
ARTICLE #3 | 32
ARTICLE #3
Title
Design and Management
of Higher Education Trans-
National Education (TNE)
Provision: Ten Lessons from
an Action Research Project
Authors
Dr. Keith Walley (author for
correspondence), Sandra Turner,
Dr. Gillian Wright, and Feng Tan
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.21252/
KEELE-0000015
Contact
[email protected]
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide
insight for the design and management
of university Trans-National Education
(TNE) provision. The guidance is
experientially based and generated
from an action research study utilising
empirical survey findings relating
to a long-standing TNE programme
involving a UK university and a Chinese
partner university. The paper identifies
a number of lessons for TNE provision
but especially important are the need
to form a strong relationship with
the partner institution, acculturate
the students from the start of the
programme and the key role of the
formal induction programme once
they arrive in the UK. The findings of
this study should constitute lessons for
senior managers and course managers
involved in designing and managing
TNE programmes at UK universities.
The main limitation of the study is its
focus on just one TNE programme
and, hence the generalisability of the
findings, but it does make an original
contribution to knowledge in terms
of the successful operation of a TNE
programme.
Keywords
Trans-National Education (TNE), Action
Research, international education, China
Introduction
Students
who
seek
an
education in a foreign country
are, in fact, carrying on a rich
tradition that extends back
many centuries (Furnham,
2004). In a wider sense,
transitions between different
cultural communities have
been chronicled and included
in myths and legends since
the early stages of civilisation
(Chirkov, 2009). However,
international
education
is
not without its challenges
relating to cultural differences
and adaptation (Shafaei and
Razak, 2016; Baklashova and
Kazakov, 2016), cross-cultural
management (Li et al, 2016),
differences
in
language
and accents (Acar, 2016),
different learning styles and
participation (Straker, 2016),
and diverse national standards
(Hefferman et al, 2010; Hill
et al, 2014). Nevertheless,
for
HEIs
engaging
in
international education, these
issues, are usually perceived
to be outweighed by the
concomitant benefits, as it can
produce increased revenue,
enhanced global profile, and
a strengthened international
reputation for a university
(Mellors-Bourne et al, 2014.)
Furthermore, students who
travel can benefit from good
quality education (Lin, 2006)
and all students, domestic
as
well
as
international,
benefit from an enriched
educational experience (Luo
and Jamieson-Drake, 2013)
arising from the development
of intercultural competencies
and a broadened perspective
(QAA, 2015). Moreover, in a
rapidly globalising world (Eken
et al, 2014; Wild et al, 2010)
Sip (2014) postulates that
the international perspective
is an absolute necessity to
overcome issues associated
with nationalism and the trend
to travel overseas in order
to study what has become
known as educational tourism
(Sotikova et al, 2016). Indeed,
of the 2,266,075 students
enrolled on Higher Education
courses in the UK during
2014/15, 437,352 (19.3%) were
from overseas (HESA, 2016).
This was a significant increase
from 1998/99 when the total
number of students enrolled
on Higher Education courses
in the UK stood at 1,845,757
and just 219,285 (11.9%) were
from
overseas
(Ramsden,
2009).
For individuals who opt to
study abroad the implications
can be literally life-changing
and all those involved in the
process need to take their
responsibilities very seriously
(Spencer-Oatey, 2004). It is
gratifying, therefore, that the
Quality Assurance Agency
(QAA) reports that most
UK universities are aware of
this responsibility as well as
the magnitude of the issues
involved, and have adopted
strategic
approaches
to
the provision of support for
overseas
students
(QAA,
2008). In addition, while there
are complex and wide-ranging
issues relating to foreign
students and international
study (Altbach, 1989), the
importance of the subject has
led to considerable research in
to overseas students and the
ARTICLE #3 | 33
DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION TRANS-NATIONAL EDUCATION
(TNE) PROVISION: TEN LESSONS FROM AN ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
aim of this paper is to add to this body of knowledge by reporting
the findings of a longitudinal study relating to a long-standing Trans-
National Education (TNE) programme involving a UK university
and a Chinese partner university. To begin, however, it is useful to
consider TNE in the broader context.
Trans-National Education
Trans-National Education (TNE) is defined as “the delivery of
programmes overseas by a parent institution either operating directly
or in association with an international partner” (Stafford and Taylor,
2016) and it has dramatically changed in scope and scale over the
last decade (Knight, 2016). In the UK, higher education institutions
now offer a multitude of transnational education programmes
through a diverse and complex range of delivery modes (Mellors-
Bourne et al, 2014) including overseas campus’s, franchising, dual
and joint awards, flying faculty, and distance learning (Robinson et
al, 2016; Tang and Nollent, 2007; Smith, 2014 and QAA, 2013; Knight,
2016). This expansion means that for many UK universities TNE
is now a major component of their international strategy and the
international students that are recruited via this route are seen as
important educational assets (QAA, 2015).
Although changes in the socio-economic situation of host countries,
along with changing university priorities, mean that every year in the
UK some TNE initiatives are terminated (eg Robinson et al, 2016) in
recent years a much larger number of new TNE initiatives have been
launched so there has been rapid growth in TNE provided by UK
universities (Hill et al, 2014). In 2012 TNE generated approximately
£496m for UK universities (Mellors-Bourne et al, 2014) and public
bodies such as JISC (JISC, 2017) have undertaken investment in
infrastructure to permit further future growth. In practice many TNE
initiatives are focused on business and management, (Siora et al,
2016) which is not impacted by geography to the same extent as
many other subjects, and which is, therefore, more suitable for TNE
programmes which typically involve partner universities in South-
East Asia in general and China in particular (Robinson et al, 2016).
Indeed, having recognised inherent weaknesses in its own Higher
Education system China has developed a strong conviction to
transform its higher education system (Mok and Han, 2016), and one
of the main mechanisms for this transformation is TNE. Support for
TNE in China has been provided by the 2010-2020 Mid and Long-
Term China Education Reform and Development Plan published in
2010 as well as inclusion of TNE in Premier Li Keqiang’s list of priority
areas and industries for China (HEFCE, 2014). So while Chinese